DESIGNER GIONNI STRACCIA LAUNCHES HIS FIRST FASHION COLLECTION

Gionni Straccia Fashion Show

• SPRING 2017 COLLECTION inspired on flowers, romance and femininity
• A runway in support of WIZO Florida was the scenario for the catwalk

Miami, FL, 2016-May-16 — /EPR Network/ — Venezuelan designer Gionni Straccia (www.gstraccia.com), a well-recognized figure in the couture fashion world, debuted yesterday his first collection ever; the “Gionni Straccia Spring 2017 Collection”. The fashion show took place during the “Mother’s Day Sponsor-a-Child Luncheon and Bazaar”; a non-profit event organized by the ladies from the Women International Zionist Organization (WIZO Florida), in the ballroom of the Beth Torah, Benny Rok Campus, located in the city of Miami.

With an inspiration that blended romance and femininity, Gionni Straccia Spring 2017 set the stage for exclusive designs that revealed the richness of a flower – expressing the sweetness and tenderness that flow from it- but highlighting a touch of excitement for the subtle, elegant and tasteful woman.

More than 300 guests were entertained while fabulous models, that included one Miss Universe, showcased the new clothing collection dominated by the use of two Straccia’s favorites: crepes silk and laces. Also, Italian tulle and organza embellished exquisite dresses, most of them with artistic embroidered and hand-painted flowers. Keeping with the trending cape dress, the designer offered a complete collection of stunning short cocktail dresses, pants suits, and evening gowns, that came in white, black, red, pink, and navy colors. Responding to a woman’s dressing needs for the different occasions in her life, Straccia added to the collection an astonishing wedding dress that left attending crowd impressed by the beauty and elegance of this piece.

Known for elegance and made-to-measure inimitable styles among the most important beauty pageants, Straccia is starting a new stage in his successful career; most importantly, with the recent opening of his private atelier in the United States. The Italian-Venezuelan designer is excited with the accomplishment of his very first full collection, “I am really very happy with the outcome. I wanted to express women’s romanticism, femininity and their sweetness,” said Straccia,“and I tried to rescue a technique of hand-painted flowers, to be in tune with the latest fashion trends, but highlighting the indelible Gionni Straccia stamp”.

The WIZO Florida, “Sponsor-a-Child” event included a bazaar with an exclusive diverse group of exhibitors that showcased beautiful pieces in jewelry, decorative items, clothing and many other accessories. As part of its annual gathering, WIZO Florida honored one of its members with a ‘Mother of the Year’ award. This time the privilege went to Colombian native, Margie Szerer, for exemplifying a WIZO woman, dedicated to her family, committed to Israel and a true leader for WIZO Florida.

“We are very proud to have presented renowned designer Gionni Straccia’s spring 2017 Collection at our ‘Mother’s Day Sponsor a Child’ fundraising event” said Suzanne Berkovits Harper, Director of WIZO Florida. “This event has grown each year and has become an icon in our community and one of the premier Mother’s Day events in South Florida, honoring and remembering mothers while benefiting women and children in need in Israel.”

Recognized fashion executive, Beth Sobol, produced the event.

Contact-Details: Amarilis Zozaya/AZ Communications, Inc.
amazozaya@gmail.com
305-495-3215

Market Rates Insight TrendSpotter Analysis Reveals Banks Ignoring the Data and Abandoning Potential Fee Revenue

New Analysis Using MRI’s TrendSpotter Report Shows that Reducing Fees Has Little or No Impact on Deposit Growth.

San Anselmo, CA, USA — According to a recent analysis published by CenterState Bank, banks are reducing fees on deposit accounts despite the fact that fees seem to have little or no impact on the current increase in deposit balances. The analysis was developed using TrendSpotter, a new research tool that tracks accumulated fee trends for banks and credit unions nationwide produced by Market Rates Insight, Inc., the leader in financial services pricing intelligence for deposits, personal loans, mortgages, and fees.

According to the TrendSpotter analysis, service charges have been declining for banks of every size over the last quarter – deposit fees averaged $8.42 per month in December and declined to $7.92 the end of first quarter. At the same time, balances required to open accounts have dropped by 15 percent since December, and the average balance to waive fees has dropped 6.6 percent. The decline in deposit fees seems counterintuitive in a market climate where deposit balances are increasing as a result of behavioral economics rather than fee elasticity.

“We have looked at this all different ways and find this borderline irrational. Our only conclusion is that banks are not looking at the data,” wrote Chris Nichols, Chief Technology Officer of CenterState Bank and author of the analysis. “As long as you are not drastic, you can raise fees, lower fees or leave fees the same and you are still going to get more deposits. If you are not, it is a marketing/value problem, not a fee problem.”

As Nichols notes, that fee elasticity is negative in most markets, and even banks that have not lowered fees on deposit products are still increasing deposit balances. Banks that did not raise deposit fees for the quarter saw an increase of 2.3 percent, while banks that did raise fees increased deposits 2.1 percent, indicating that consumers are clearly not fee sensitive.

Nichols’ conclusion is that this is the perfect market climate for banks and credit unions to consider raising fees without risk. Banks that are lowering fees in order to attract new customers and increase deposit balances, and are ignoring the market data and abandoning possible revenue at a time when banks and credit unions are facing near record-low net interest margins.

About TrendSpotter
TrendSpotter is a unique tool that gives bank and credit union executives an understanding of accumulated fee trends in the marketplace. Data is extracted from Market Rates Insight’s FeeBuilder, the first database of retail deposit fees that tracks overdraft, non-sufficient funds, monthly service charges, ATM fees, wire transfer, on checking, money market, savings, certificate of deposit, and more. TrendSpotter extracts trends from the FeeBuilder database and provides a picture of fee pricing and penalties for banking products nationwide. User can overlay their own fee pricing to create a trend line that shows how the competition affects revenue, attrition, and volume for their own fee-based products.

TrendSpotter is issued quarterly on an annual subscription basis. For more information, visit http://www.marketratesinsight.com/news/MRI_TrendSpotter.aspx.

About Market Rates Insight
For over 30 years, Market Rates Insight has helped banking executives make better informed pricing decisions. The company serves banks and credit unions nationally with competitive information on deposits, consumer loans, mortgages, and fees. Market Rates Insight provides the most granular historical and refresh pricing data in the industry, helping financial decision makers plan and prepare for likely changes in rates and products. The company’s cloud-based system provides timely and precise competitive data supported by usable graphs and charts.

Market Rates Insight is located in San Anselmo, California. For more information, see http://www.marketratesinsight.com.

Contact:
Tom Woolf
Market Rates Insight
(415) 259-5638
tom.woolf@marketratesinsight.com

GiftWorksPlus Announces Consumer Gift Buying Habits for Mother’s Day

GiftWorksPlus offers unique and memorable customized wooden frames for this Mother’s Day.

Waukesha, WI, USA — Go get her flowers, cards, and chocolate. Its something everyone hears prior to Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day once again was recognized and celebrated for the special women in our lives and in appreciation for all they do. GiftWorksPlus (http://www.giftworksplus.com) identified the key to finding the perfect gift for the loving and nurturing women in your life. The personalized gift company’s line of custom engraved photo frames is the perfect gift for any mom on any holiday.

Currently, the United States has 85.4 million mothers accounting for $20.7 billion dollars spent on Mother’s Day each year. While many gift options are purchased, flowers and cards remain a staple in the celebration of motherhood. It’s estimated that $1.9 billion dollars were spent on flowers and $671 million dollars were spent on cards this past Mother’s Day. With so many gift options available, the average American consumer spent approximately $168.94 on mom for Mother’s Day. The evolution of technology has had its effect on Mother’s Day as well. 28.5% of Mother’s Day gifts are now bought online but recent studies have shown that “something homemade” is the number one gift mom wants to receive on Mother’s Day.

GiftWorksPlus’s custom engraved photo frames are a great way to showcase appreciation and love for a mother. GiftWorksPlus’s custom wooden frames are the perfect blend of homemade and quality that moms will cherish for years to come. With multiple customized frames and free personalization, you are sure to find the perfect gift at GiftWorksPlus. Browse hundreds of unique, personalized gift ideas and engraved wooden frames at the company’s online store.

Whether framing that family vacation picture or simply looking for something special to give her this year, GiftWorkPlus’s large selection of wooden picture frames ensures the perfect custom gift for mom.

Media Contact:
Karla Jordan
GiftWorksPlus
N15 W22218 Watertown Rd. #5
Waukesha, WI 53186
888-456-9878
karla@giftworksplus.com
http://www.giftworksplus.com